Friends With Benefits
by redwolfproductions
Summary: Chris and Danny have always been friends. Well, friends with benefits. Chris is in love with Beth despite his 'relationship' with Danny, but Danny is certain he loves Chris. Rated M.
1. Friend Zone

This is my first fan fiction on Bravest Warriors, so I hope you enjoy. Before you begin reading, please read the following so you know what you are about to read just in case you find any of the following triggering. Thank you.

**This fan fiction contains the following:**

**- Intense, sexual themes/smut. Do not read if you can't handle intense scenes.**

**- Yaoi (Boy x Boy).**

**- Depression/self-hate.**

**- Strong language.**

**- Some ideologically sensitive material may appear.**

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**_The cover picture was made by it's proud and respected owner, Meenat (DeviantART)._**

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**WARNING: This chapter contains sexual themes and strong language.**

Chapter 1: Friend Zone

This just wasn't Danny's day. Normally, he would put on a bright face for his team and would pull through just for the sake of others, but today he just wasn't feeling it. The whole day had just seemed to pass by unnoticed and without emotion. His team had seemed to notice his unusual behavior, but Danny would just ignore them and try to pull through the day without being questioned too much.

He had been questioned by Wallow and Beth a lot, but he would just brush them aside by telling them that he just wasn't feeling well. Yet, Chris had only asked once if his friend was alright, and that was when Danny had snapped silently.

"What do you think?" he had growled, crossing his arms protectively over his chest and moving through their home.

Chris didn't bother Danny for the rest of the day, knowing all too well what was wrong. The others may have been more then confused, but Chris knew about his friend's depression, so he had left him alone and stopped questioning him, deciding he would later visit his friend that night to silently comfort him.

Yet, Chris seemed to be having just as much difficulty that day. His troubles were a bit different then Danny's, though. Lately, Chris's advances on his crush, Beth, were becoming nothing but shots in the dark. Days ago Chris had talked to Danny about what he should do, and his friend had given his REAL advice, telling him it was time to make advances on Beth and finally come out to her about his feelings. Chris didn't think he was ready to tell Beth about his feelings, but he would at least try to give hints. Yet, he seemed to only be getting further and further away from where he once was.

Chris knew of sometimes how he and Danny would use each other to ease tension and stress, and for some reason he thought that both needed it at that moment, but that was a last resort for him. Although he and Danny did those things frequently long ago, they had seemed to spread these activities further and further apart as time went on. Chris had done this on purpose. He didn't want to hurt his friend, but he really liked Beth, and he thought that if he ever wanted things to become serious with her, he and Danny would need to completely cut their 'relationship'.

The blonde wasn't even sure to call what he and Chris had a relationship. After all, they didn't have anything romantic going on. They just used each other to ease emotional and physical pain for when it was needed. This was just their little secret, sort of just like how Chris knowing Danny's emotional pain was also their little secret. When they first started, Chris had been worried that this would ruin his and Danny's friendship, but he soon found that nothing was really changed. The only difference was that when things got to be too much for one or both of the warriors, things would get pretty heavy and intense in bed. No one besides themselves knew, so there was really no sweat.

Yet, for some reason, Chris had felt the need to release some tension and pain that day. And he knew for a fact that Danny was feeling some pain, too. Perhaps even more then Chris at that moment. So, during the night, Chris crept out of his room and slowly made his way down the hallway towards his friend's room. He knew that Danny wouldn't quite be asleep, yet. Instead, he would be lying down in bed or just staring at his wall blankly. Danny was normally a great sleeper, but when he had bad days, he would have trouble falls asleep.

Once Chris got to Danny's door, he silently slipped open the door. He considered knocking, but he didn't want to wake up Danny if he really was sleeping. However, just like he thought, Danny was lying down on his bed and blankly staring up at his ceiling. His eyes didn't even drift over to Chris once he entered the room. He seemed either in deep thought or too troubled to care. Chris just swallowed a hard lump in his throat as he fully entered the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

Once the door clicked shut, Danny's gaze turned to his friend. His eyes were faded, as if he had been crying a while ago, but he hadn't bothered with blinking away the tears or was too depressed to care anymore. His whole face just seemed hallow, empty of life. Chris for a moment felt frightened for his friend. Slightly shaking, Chris made his way towards the bed and sat on the edge, mindlessly wrapping his arms around Danny's torso and pulling him in for a hug. Danny didn't respond to the notion for a moment, but he soon returned the hug and clung tightly to his friend for some kind of comfort, sitting up and burying his face in Chris's chest.

The two just sat there for a while, holding on tightly to one another. Both were already in their pajamas, Chris dressed in his blue pajama pants and white t-shirt, and Danny in his tight, red boxers and a lighter red t-shirt. Somewhere in their embrace, Chris had managed to pull Danny up onto his lap, letting Danny nuzzle up into the crook of his friend's neck. The notion wasn't romantic at all, but more comforting then anything. The two friends were used to being cozy with one another in these situations.

After another moment, Chris let out a shuttered sigh without meaning to. He hoped that Danny wouldn't notice, but he did.

"What's up?" he asked in what sounded to be his normal voice.

Chris let out another pained sigh, resting his chin on Danny's shoulder, shutting his eyes tightly. "It's nothing."

"It's Beth?"

Chris wasn't really surprised that his friend knew. After all, they weren't just friends. They were BEST friends. Danny seemed to be able to read Chris like an open book.

"Yeah." he answered. "She's ... I'm ... We're ... It's just complicated ..."

Danny gave a grunt of understanding. He shifted around so his legs rested around Chris's sides, as if knowing that Chris hadn't just come here to comfort his friend with hugs and words. "The friend zone is a hard place to escape, bro. But if you try hard enough and want it bad enough, you'll break free."

Suddenly, Chris began to second guess doing this with Danny. He still wanted to be more then friends with Beth, but at the same time he wanted to release some frustration with Danny. He was torn between the two, but be began to wonder why he couldn't just have both. After all, he and Beth weren't officially a 'thing' ... yet. So, what was so bad about doing this with Danny? Chris didn't need to think again as Danny began to slowly rock his hips against Chris's.

The soft bed creaked against the two boys' weight as Danny placed his palms flat on Chris's chest and slowly pushed him over onto the bed, lying him flat onto his back. Chris already knew the drill by now, so he didn't hesitate in sliding his hands down Danny's chest and tugging at the hem of his shirt. Being quick, Chris quickly pulled up at the loose hanging shirt and freed the piece of fabric for Danny's torso. Returning the favor, Danny pulled at Chris's shirt. Chris lifted his torso up enough for Danny to fully pull it away. In almost a desperate manner, Chris slung his arms around Danny's neck and bucked his hips against the other's. Danny gave a small moan, bucking back in just as much desperation. At that moment, both realized their needs, wants, and desires. Neither knew exactly how long it had been since they had done anything intimate with each other, and that was mostly because of Chris, and they had almost forgotten how this had felt like.

"God ..." Chris gasped, his mind hazed with lust. "I missed you."

Danny teased his friend's waist line with his strong hands as he licked and nipped at Chris's neck. He just grunted in agreement, quickly tugging at Chris's pajama pants and underwear at the same time. Chris in return gave a small squeak of surprise, but just clung tightly to his friend and took in sharp breaths, shaking in anticipation. Lifting up his hips, Chris allowed Danny fully pull off his pants and underwear, throwing them onto his floor. Chris slid his hands down his friend's back, tugging roughly at Danny's boxers until they finally pulled free, throwing them onto the clothes pile.

Growling in pleasure, Danny nipped sharply at Chris's collarbone, making Chris moan, again. As he continued to lick and nip, Danny placed his hands roughly onto Chris's hips, positioning him correctly. As he did so, Chris bit his bottom lip until he broke the skin, feeling blood fill his mouth with the taste of copper. He held tightly to Danny's shoulders, preparing himself to what was to come.

Giving a growl as a warning, Danny quickly bucked forward into his friend, making Chris cry out in sudden pain. He suddenly realized that since they hadn't done this in so long, he wasn't prepared for anything like this.

"Gah-ah!" Chris cried out in burning pain.

"Sorry ..." Danny whispered silently. "You're just ... AH ...!"

Chris clung tighter to Danny's shoulders, digging his nails into his stronger friend's skin without really meaning to. He listened to his friend's moans and felt himself giving out silent ones, too.

"Shit ... you're just tight is all ..." Danny growled, pushing forward, again, making Chris shutter in both pain and pleasure. He suddenly wished he had come more prepared then this. He mentally slapped himself for being so stupid.

Danny repositioned himself a little to make Chris feel more comfortable, but Chris was impatient, sighing and moaning in protest at the hold up. Danny took the hint and continued with the movement once everything was situated, his hands holding tightly to Chris's waist. He nipped only at Chris's collarbone and shoulder, knowing that if he left a mark on his neck where others could see, there would be questions in the morning.

"D-Dan?" Chris gasped, almost shyly.

"Yeah?" Danny replied, keeping his same speed.

"F-faster ...?" the smaller asked sheepishly.

Danny didn't say anything as he moved his hips into a faster rhythm, hearing only the bed's springs creaking against their movements and their own gasps and moans. As they began to progress, both completely cleared their minds of their troubles from that day. Chris instantly forgot about Beth; Danny completely forgot about his down and depressed mood. The only things that the two concentrated on were each other's bodies, how they moved, and what sounds they made.

Chris gave a shuttered moan, letting the other know that he was close. In sync, Danny sighed in pleasure as he quickened his pace even further, listened to the bed moaning and creaking to their will. Chris soon gave a high pitched cry as he came. His eyes were hazed with lust and his breath was shuttered. Danny quickly followed after him, giving a shout. It was a wonder the two were never caught in the act with all the noise they made.

Feeling weak and tired out, Danny eased out of Chris and rolled over to lie beside his friend. He stared back up at the ceiling like he was before. His eyes were still hazed, but this time they were clouded with lust instead of with sorrow and self-hatred. Chris lied on his side, looking at Danny, making sure he truly was alright. Yet, Chris seemed just as tired as his friend.

The two rolled over on their sides, facing away from each other and lying on separate sides on Danny's bed. They pulled up the sheets and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Chris knew that he would be the first to wake up in the morning, getting dressed and making his way back to the bathroom the freshen up before returning to his bedroom for a couple more hours of sleep before anyone noticed. If Danny had been in Chris's bed, however, then Danny would poke his friend awake and send him away before anyone else woke up. Danny didn't like being woken up, so the two tried to do most of their acts in Danny's room.

Danny's sleep was empty of dreams, just like always. Chris's sleep, however, was full of wonderful dreams. He dreamed of the one person he wished for the most: Beth. He dreamt of her long, dark hair and her soft, warm eyes. This just wasn't any dream, though. He dreamt he got what he most wanted. He dreamt of him and Beth being together. He at first seemed to smile upon this dream, but something deep in the pit of his stomach just didn't set right. He would hug and kiss Beth on the face, but there was something missing in his heart and it made him sick to the stomach to think about. Then he thought of it.

Suddenly, Chris woke up with a start. Looking around, he saw he was still in Danny's room. Memories flooded in as he remembered his and Danny's night together. Turning, he glanced over to see that Danny was cradling that stupid chainsaw of his, sleeping like a rock. Staring at Danny's sleeping figure for a moment, Chris thought about his dream, but he was already starting to forget it. He could only faintly remember being with Beth, but still missing something important and special to him. The thought of Danny had floated to him, but that was when he had woken with a start.

No. That couldn't have been right. He and Danny were just friends. Well, friends with benefits. After all, Chris was more then certain that he loved Beth and that he wanted to be more then just friends with her. Then and there, he decided that he and Danny weren't to be friends with benefits any longer.

'No more nights.' he thought to himself. 'I'm going to tell Beth how I feel, and that's that. Danny and I will still be best friends, and everything will be alright.'

Chris didn't know how wrong he was.

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**This is going to be a short series and I'm going to try to upload chapters frequently. I plan I uploading the next two chapters tomorrow.**

**Bravest Warriors (c) Pendleton Ward**


	2. Morning After

Chapter 2: Morning After

When Chris woke up the next morning, he wasn't surprised to see that he had slept in a couple more hours then normal. He didn't care, though. He just dragged himself out of his room and into the bathroom, needing a shower. He unclothed himself and threw aside the same pajamas that he had been wearing that night with Danny. He almost wished that the whole thing was just a dream and that the whole thing hadn't happened, but he knew that it was all too real.

Turning on the water, Chris let the hot, steaming water touch his skin, almost burning him. He didn't mind the hot water, though. He let the shower water clean his dirty skin and wash away the memories of last night. Well, mostly. He mostly just wanted to forget that night because of the dream he had. That had been when he decided that he was going to cut off his sexual relationship with Danny completely and confess his love to Beth. Even if he didn't confess to Beth that day, he was going to do it when the time was right, or the very next time he got the chance. He also knew that the longer he waited to tell Beth how he felt, the more hard it was going to be. So, he decided that the sooner, the better.

Once he had finished with his shower and had dressed into new clothes and his gloves, Chris left the bathroom feeling refreshed and ready for the day, ready to fight any monsters if so needed. As he walked down the hall, Chris let his mind wonder. He didn't even notice when he felt himself bumping into someone. He at first thought that he had bumped right into Danny, just because of some awkward and odd feeling, but he knew that the person he bumped into was smaller then Danny and not as strongly built. Chris blinked in confusion for a moment, but then he saw who he had ran into. He gave a happy grin at the girl.

"Morning, Beth." he greeted.

"'Bout time you woke up!" she teased. "Having too good of a dream?"

"Guess you could say that." Chris muttered, saying only half the truth. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, thinking about confessing the truth, but then he decided against it. He didn't want to scare her away, after all. Then, he got a different idea in his head. "Um ... hey?"

"Hm?" she hummed.

"I was ... I was wondering if you ... would like to ..." he started, almost too nervous to finish. He then took a deep breath and started from the beginning and finished strong. "I was just wondering if you would like to go out sometime."

Beth was completely taken by surprise, but she didn't seem nervous or frightened the least bit. "What? Seriously?"

"Well, I mean, if you want to." Chris stated quickly.

Beth thought for a moment, and then smiled. "Yeah. It'll be fun."

Chris gave a weak, fake laugh, trying not to sound nervous. "Yeah. Fun."

Danny had woken up before Chris that morning. He woke up that morning with his chainsaw in arms like he always did. Strange, considering he fell asleep without it there. He didn't really have much time to wonder, though. He looked behind him, but didn't see Chris there. He gave a small sigh of almost disappointment, but he knew that Chris wasn't going to hang around in Danny's bed. He never did. And although Danny sometimes secretly enjoyed their nights together more then Chris did, Danny knew that Chris never felt the same way as Danny did. Sure, they messed around together, but they were just friends. Or, at least Chris saw them as just friends.

Growing up with Chris, Danny had always seen him as his best friend. They had been through thick and thin. However, as he had grown more into his teen years and they had grown even closer, Danny had developed what seemed to be a crush on the other male. And when things between the two friends had grown more intimate, Danny had thought that perhaps Chris had felt the same way and would let go of his puppy crush on Beth, but he hadn't. He still deeply loved the girl, but for some reason he continued to mess around with Danny and unknowingly play with Danny's heart.

Sometimes Danny just wanted to sit Chris down and tell him his feelings and just get things over with. Then, Chris would finally stop playing with Danny's feelings and would just go to Beth. That would also mean that there would be no more wild nights together, but at least Chris would know the truth. Danny would no longer have the pain of holding the boy he loved, but not in the romantic way, but only in the lust filled way. Danny knew that as long as Chris was in love with Beth, he would never see Danny as anything more then a friend with benefits, someone to go to for releasing stress and tension.

Danny sometimes wondered what would happen if Chris and Beth ever did become a 'thing'. Chris would then have Beth for releasing all that stress and tension, if she let him. Or, he wouldn't even NEED to do such things. After all, most of the things that Chris came to Danny for were about Beth and his problems with her. If they were together, perhaps he wouldn't have those problems to deal with, anymore. Not only would he have Beth for his problems instead of Danny, but Danny would be left alone. Sure, he and Chris would still be friends, but Danny would have a hole in his soul just knowing that Chris didn't know his true feelings.

Then and there, Danny decided that he was going to spill himself out. He was tired of hiding in the dark, and he was tired of having to pretend. He hated having to pretend to Chris. He knew what he felt was real, and he knew that the feeling wasn't just lust. This wasn't lust, this was love. Real love.

Danny closed his eyes tightly and thought about that word over and over. Love. He loved Chris. He had always sugar coated the truth to himself, but he knew the facts. He loved Chris, and he was tired of having to fake his love for lust during those nights. He hated not being able to hold Chris in just a loving way and to kiss him on the face. When was the last time he kissed Chris? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that the last time he kissed Chris, the other male had been shocked and just about shoved Danny's face away. That night had been embarrassing. Yet, Danny had been able to play it off as if he had been in a lust drunk state. Chris seemed to buy it.

The closest that Danny had ever gotten to just having a close and tender moment with Chris was when he would be going through a depressed state and Chris would just hold him. Danny would try not to get his hopes up when he held tightly to his friend, but he couldn't help himself. He loved Chris to no ends, and all he ever wanted to do was hold Chris like that forever.

'I'm tired of pretending.' Danny thought to himself. 'I don't care if he hates me and doesn't ever want to be my friend again. I can't keep going on like this. I need to tell him. I'm going to tell him, and that's that.'

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**I'm not sure if this chapter needs a warning or not. There isn't really anything going on in this chapter, but the next chapter may have some ideologically sensitive material, so be warned. And again, for people that didn't catch this from the first chapter, if you find any of the following content (sexual themes, strong language, self-hatred, ideologically sensitive material) triggering, then DON'T READ and DON'T COMMENT OR FLAME ME ABOUT IT. I don't mean to yell, but some people didn't seem to catch that ...**

**The next chapter shall be out later today!**

**Bravest Warriors (c) Pendleton Ward**


	3. A Moment Too Late

**WARNING: This chapter contains ideologically sensitive material.**

Chapter 3: A Moment Too Late

Danny and Chris had spent most the day apart from each other. Danny had purposefully been too bashful to approach his crush, but after a while, he had decided to just approach Chris and see how things went. However, Danny had had some trouble doing that. Later in the day, Danny couldn't seem to find Chris at all. In fact, he couldn't find Beth, either. He had his worries, but he pushed them aside, just telling himself that both being gone was just a coinscidence.

"Hey, Wallow?" Danny had asked his friend later. "Have you seen Chris?"

"No." his friend answered. "Why?"

"No reason." Danny sighed to himself.

Wallow seemed to almost smirk for a moment, making Danny almost stop breathing, but Wallow just turned away and walked away with a normal expression. Danny for a moment wondered if Wallow knew anything, but he decided that there was already too much going on for him to question Wallow's knowledge. He decided that he would just have to wait around for Chris. After all, the day was almost done and he would return soon enough.

However, Danny couldn't help himself for peaking around just a little more. He felt like checking outside, so he walked out and saw that the sun was already starting to set. He began to worry more and more for his friend, and began to wonder if he was really doing the right thing. After all, Chris really liked Beth, and he and Chris were really good friends. Why ruin that? Still, Danny felt like the longer he kept his love a secret, the longer the pain kept hurting. He decided that he was going to tell Chris, one way or another.

As Danny walked aroun outside their home, he began to hear voices. He froze for a moment, and then heard Chris's voice. He smiled from hearing the faint sound. He took in a deep breath and started silently walking, again. He ran thoughts through his head as he thought of what to tell his friend. How was Chris going to take it?

Danny just shook away his thoughts as he rounded a corner, knowing that Chris was going to be there. He forced himself to crack a fake smile for the sake of his well being and for his crush. He was about to call out to Chris, but once he saw the sight in front of him, he halted in his tracks. His heart beat wildly in his chest, as if it were going to explode and shatter into a million pieces.

Out by the dock was Chris and Beth, but they were doing something that made Danny freeze on the spot. His eyes began to slightly water from just seeing the two together, let alone kissing softly. Taking in a quick, sharp breath, Danny turned on his heels and ran back inside. His heart raced in his ears and ached. His chest felt tight and hurt, but he kept running. He passed Wallow, who looked confused, but Danny just raced back into his room and slammed the door shut. He launched himself onto his bed and let the tears flow.

He didn't know why he was crying. Well, he kind of did. He had just watched the one person he loved the most giving his love away to someone else. But the truth was, Danny had always known that Chris loved Beth, and he had always known secretly that the two would end up together one way or another. He had told Chris that once, too. Chris had seemed delighted to hear that, but Danny was secretly hurting at the truth.

'It's not fair.' Danny thought to himself with a silent sob. 'This isn't fair.' Danny knew that Beth and Chris were bound to get together, but Danny wasn't too sure about Beth. 'She just now started showing interest, but I've loved him forever. He has so much to give, and she has nothing at all. How is that fair to him? How is that fair to me?'

Danny just lied face down in his bed for what seemed like forever. He knew that the sunset had already started to go down and day was turning to night. He tried to get himself to calm down, just because of the fact he wasn't in the mood to cry himself to sleep, again. He rolled over in bed and faced up at the ceiling. His head hurt from crying and his chest still felt tight and heavy, as if someone had just stabbed out his heart.

He lied there like that for a while longer, but there soon was a soft scratching sound at his door. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had a pretty good idea. He didn't move or say anything as the door slowly slid open. From the sound of the footsteps and the way the person entered the room with uncertainty, it was Chris. Danny didn't even look at him, though. He was afraid of beginning to cry again or completely lose control of himself.

So, he just lied there as if he were dead, waiting for his friend to just go away.

Chris didn't know why he was here. He didn't want anything more from Danny then just to hug and comfort him. Or, at least this time around Chris was the one who wanted to be comforted. Yet, when he had entered the room, Danny hadn't so much as looked at him. His eyes were bloodshot and he was still fully clothed. He looked as if he had had an even rougher day then before. Chris felt more worried then ever for his friend.

"Danny ...?" Chris whispered.

Just the sound of his voice made Danny cringe, making him shut his eyes tightly and tense up. "Yeah ...?"

"Are you ... alright?" That had to be the most stupid question Chris ever asked. Danny was never alright. Sure, he would sometimes put on a fake smile for others, but Chris saw right through it. And he knew for a fact that at this moment, Danny wasn't anywhere close to being 'alright'.

Danny lied still for a moment longer, but then sat up in bed and sat on the opposite edge, facing away from Chris. "No ..."

Chrsi walked over to the bed, but he stopped once he saw that his friend flinched away and scooted further away from the bed, still refusing to look at Chris. This worried him even more.

"Danny ...?"

"Just ..." Danny said, sounding hurt and distressed. "Leave. Please."

"But ... I wanted ..." Chris started, wanting to say that he just wanted to have his best friend tell him everything was going to be alright, and for him to do the same for Danny, but Danny wasn't in the mood.

"I said LEAVE, damn it!" he growled, turning to face Chris, his eyes watering up and looking beyond hurt. "I don't CARE what you want! Cause you know what? I'm not going to be the one to give you what you want, anymore. So you can just GO."

Chris flinched, as if he had been slapped. He didn't know what to say or do, so he just stood there for moment longer. Danny had never snapped at him like that, or plain out told him that he just didn't care, anymore.

Danny's angered expression turned to just horribly sad. More unexpected tears began to fall down his face, but he quickly turned away and lied on his side, curling up into a ball. He didn't say anything else as he just lied there for a moment longer. He didn't do anything until he finally heard Chris walk away shamefully and shut the door behind him. That was when Danny let himself go, allowing himself to curl up tightly into a ball, fully clothed, and cry himself to sleep.

He couldn't simply live with himself knowing that he not only hated himself, but so might Chris.

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**This is the second to last chapter! There will be one more chapter after this one. I can't say for sure when the last chapter will be out, but it'll be soon!**

**Bravest Warriors (c) Pendleton Ward**


	4. Love Me?

**WARNING: This chapter contains ideologically sensitive material. **

Chapter 4: Love Me?

The next few days passed by without notice. Danny and Chris seemed to for some reason stay apart from each other, not really talking. Danny felt his chest ache and become heavy just by being around his friend, so he tried to be apart from Chris as much as possible. Chris, however, tried his best to just be around Danny. He would try to just get his friend's attention at the least. He was worried about Danny, and feared that Danny was more then just depressed at himself. He was worried that Danny hated both himself and Chris at that moment. Chris didn't know what he would do if his best friend hated him.

However, a few days after that fight, Chris had somehow found Danny sitting alone outside by the pond. Chris had taken a deep breath and approached his friend, feeling a little bold and a little nervous. He held his hands in his pockets and walked with stride, keeping his eyes on Danny.

The day was young and the sun was still out. Chris knew that the sun would soon start to go down, but he didn't mind. He just wanted enough time to talk to Danny.

"Danny?" he asked.

Danny didn't so much as flinch. He just hugged his knees close to his chest and gazed out at the pond, burying his face in his knees. Chris moved and sat down beside his friend, but kept a safe distance. He glanced over at Danny, but he just sighed and looked out across the pond, too.

"What did I do?" he finally asked, sounding hurt.

Danny didn't say anything as he just continued to stare out across the pond. He finally spoke up, though. "You ... didn't 'do' anything ..."

"Then why are you acting like this?" Chris asked. "What's wrong? Why won't you let me help ...?"

"You know what, Chris?" Danny snapped. "Not everything can be solved with hugs and words. Why can't you just see that some things just can't ever be fixed? Why can't you see that I can't ever be fixed? Why can't you just ... leave it be?"

"Because you're my friend, damn it!" Chris growled back. "You're my best friend, Danny! I can't stand to see you being sad, and I for sure can't stand to see you mad at me, or at youself. And you know what? Not everything has to be about you, either. I know what you're going through, but you're not the only one hurting ..."

"Oh, yeah?" Danny yelled, turning towards Chris with a scowl. "You know? You know, Chris? Do you know what it's like to lie in bed every night and hate everything about yourself and think that nothing is right or good enough? No, you don't. You know why? Because you're the leader, and you're the person that everyone looks up to and loves. Especially Beth. So don't you DARE think for a moment that you know what it's like. Don't you even dare begin to THINK that you know what it's like to love someone and watch their love given away to someone else."

"Wait, what?" Chris asked, startled. "I ... don't understand. What do you mean?"

At this point, tears were rolling down Danny's face. He used his sleeves to wipe them away, taking in deep breaths. "You wouldn't understand ..."

"You're my best friend ..."

"I know." Danny interrupted. "That's the problem. You're ... my friend."

"Danny, you're scaring me." Chris shuttered. "I don't understand anything you're saying. Besides, a few days ago when I went into your room, I was going to tell you what happened with me and Beth."

"What ...?" Danny just about whispered, covering his face in his knees, again.

Chris took in a deep breath, feeling as if he were going to tear up, too. "I ... I did it. I finally kissed her for real this time, like I always told myself like I was going to do. But ... things didn't work out."

"What? Why not?" Danny asked with sudden interest.

"She kissed me back, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it." Chris whispered, looking down shamefully.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "But ... you love her."

"Well ... I thought I did. I guess I was wrong, though." Chris choked out, now having tears slowly rolling down his soft cheeks. Now, Danny had looked over at his friend and saw Chris's broken expression. Just the sight of his friend crying broke his heart.

Reaching over, Danny slowly pulled Chris in beside him, letting Chris rest his head on Danny's shoulder. Chris nuzzled up against his friend's shoulder, letting out shuttered breaths. He wrapped his arms around the other's waist, holding Danny close. He needed this comfort.

Danny just let out a pained sigh as he nuzzled into his friend. Just being close to his friend hurt him deeply, but holding him like this broke his heart. He wanted Chris to know the truth, but he didn't want to push Chris any further then he already was.

"Danny ...?" Chris choked out.

"Yeah?" he whispered out.

"What were you talking about before?"

"Nothing." Danny defended a little too quickly.

"It didn't sound like nothing." Chris muttered, pressing closer to Danny.

Danny just about sighed in contempt. Chris just didn't know how much this hurt him, but he also didn't know how much he wanted him as more then a friend. "It ... was stupid, really."

"Danny?" Chris whispered, nuzzling up against Danny and wrapping his arms around Danny's waist. "Do you like me?"

"Of course. You're my best friend." Danny chuckled half-heartedly.

"Yeah, but I mean ... do you 'like' me ... 'like' me ..." Chris muttered, a little nervous.

"Well ... I ..." Danny stammered, more nervous then his friend, swallowing a hard lump. "You know what? Screw it. Yes, I do. A lot."

Chris stayed still for a moment, pressed against Danny. He let out a long, low sigh. After a while, he finally spoke up. "You remember that one time we kissed ...?"

Danny just gave a small grin as he slightly turned and placed his warm hands onto Chris's face, taking his chance. Chris was taken by surprise, but he didn't push Danny away this time as Danny softly pressed his lips to Chris's. The kiss was soft and gentle, just lips ribbing softly against each other. Chris wrapped his arms around Danny's waist, holding on for support. Danny just slightly grinning in the kiss as he nipped and licked at Chris's lower lip, teasing his friend.

Suddenly, a loud crack sounded off in the distance, making the two quickly pull away from each other and look towards the sound. From the look of the sky, there was going to be a thunder strom soon, along with lots of rain.

Chris just sighed and rested his head on Danny's shoulder, nuzzling against his neck. "It's going to rain ..."

"Should we head inside?" Danny asked.

Chris just grinned, kissing Danny softly on the neck and chuckling as Danny shivered. "Yeah."

Danny held Chris for a moment longer, though, just wanting to remember this moment. He wanted to remember holding Chris, kissing him, and having him as his own. He wanted to remember the moment when the person he loved more then anything else in the world had finally returned his love.

* * *

**Here's the last chapter. Sorry the ending is dull. I was in a hurry to finish this short series. I still have others to finish, too.**

**Bravest Warriors (c) Pendleton Ward**


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